european discovery aug 18th-31st, 2011!

Do anyone know when's a good time for Euro/Swiss franc/ Brit pounds conversion from canadian dollars? Would the forgein exchange booths give us a better deal? How much of each currency would you suggest for us to bring? Anyone know if europe accept canadian visa cards if we run short in cash?

Hey, depends on which bank you have. But if you ask you bank they will be able to tell you if your credit card will work in certain countries. The foreign booths tend to not be as great of a deal, but are okay in a pinch. I would recommend taking the money with you from home. Most hotels will cash Canadian travellers checks, so that is an option.

Before I left, I got a deal at my local airport (San Francisco) and got about 400 Euros for $600 US dollars? I went on the European Discovery (winter) and we were only in Switzerland for a night so i didn’t bother getting Francs. They actually take Euros but will give you Francs in return so i’d recommend bringing smaller notes. I spent an extra full day in London before our trip so I withdrew 100 Pounds upon arrival. The all day tube pass is about 12 pounds I believe so you can just take the tube from Heathrow to Russell Square. When we went, the union was on strike so we had to get off at Hyde Park and the cab fair from there to our hotel was about 20 pounds. Overall, including shopping, I want to say i spent a little over 75 Euros a day (since the majority is in countries that take Euros). Depending on where you are, the price of alcohol and etc varies. When in Rome, go to Moe’s Pub! and when in London, try to get into a club called “Tiger Tiger” by Convent Gardens. Hope this helped.

Also, I forgot to mention, the first 400 Euros you withdraw should last about 1/3 of the trip. Then, when you need to pay for your tour optionals (we paid on the bus throughout the tour), withdraw another 400 (or the most you can) because the tax will kill you if you just withdraw minimal amounts at the same time.